Saint Willibrord was born in 658 in northern England and after his early studies at the Abbey of Ripon near York, he entered the Benedictine Order. At the age of 39, he was ordained a priest in Ireland. At that time, he felt a strong call to preach the gospel in the area we now call the Netherlands. He and about ten other monks set up a home base in a beautiful little valley known as Echternach. The land for this project was given to him by St. Irmina, a noble woman who had become a nun and an abbess after the death of her husband.
Willibrord went to Rome where he was consecrated a bishop, thus becoming the first bishop of Holland. He laboured many years as a missionary with great success but also with some big setbacks. Not one to give up easily he always managed to re-evenagelize areas that had been lost to the gospel because of hostile rulers in the areas.
St. Willibrord died at the age of 81 and was buried in Echternach, Luxembourg. Miracles have occurred at this tomb for many centuries. He is particularly revered as a saint to be invoked for the protection and cure of sick children especially those suffering from epilepsy.
In May 1998, Fr. Cameron and five parishioners set out on a pilgrimage to Echternach, Luxembourg to celebrate the 1300th anniversary of the founding of the Benedictine Abbey of Echternach by St. Willibrord. After his years of missionary labour, St Willibrord died at the monastery of Echternach in his 80s and is buried in the beautiful Basilica dedicated to him.
One of the highlights of the trip was the day Fr. Cameron was given the privilege of saying Mass on the tomb of St. Willibrord. We were all very touched since that day just happened to be my Father's birthday.
We were welcomed with much enthusiasm by the pastor of St. Willibrord Basilica, Fr Théophile Walin. He seemed overjoyed that we had come all the way from Canada to celebrate with them. Cardinals, bishops, priests, and pilgrims from all over Europe were in the small town for this anniversary celebration and yet Fr. Walin went out of his way to get a special time to our little group from Verdun. We will never forget the experience of watching thousands of people dance through the town during the Hopping Procession
At a reception which followed, Fr. Cameron was presented with a precious relic of Saint Willibrord by Cardinal Adrianus Simonis, Archbishop of Utrecht, the diocese founded by Saint Willibrord 1300 years before. We will never forget the friendliness of the people of Echternacht..